ATTRIBUTES OF GOD ALL NATIONS UNIVERSITY COOLLEGE, GHANA.

Just as human beings have personal attributes or character that reveals our uniqueness, it is believed that the Christian God is a Person since He also Posses some of the unique attributes of human beings such as the ability to become Angry, jealous, compassionate, sorrowful , recognition and so on . Aside these personal attributes, the Christian God is also believed to have or posses some unique general attributes which is incomparable such as Sovereignty, Moral, Triune, All powerful, omnipresence, omnipotent, omniscience etc This essay will focus on three major personal attributes of the Christian God and three general attributes of Him and simultaneously discuss the relevance of each personal and general attribute that would be emphasized in this essay. Beginning with the personal attributes, just as human beings can become annoyed or angry, God can also be angry. Biblically, there were so many instances that the activities of Human beings and nations as a whole got God angry. The term angry according to the Encarta encyclopedia 2009, refers to feeling extremely annoyed, often about an insult or a wrong. There are many instances in the bible when God became angry with men, nations etc. For instance, in 1Kings:11:9 the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, and this incidence is an empirical evidence in

the Bible indicating that God can be angry, also Jer. 10:10 says that But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation, this alone indicates that God can be angry. Wrath used here refers to extreme anger or annoyance and this implies that God just as human can get annoyed. As humaun beings we get angry when people do things we do not like or frustrate us, However God has much longsuffering and forbearance than man and thus does not easily become annoyed unlike man who gets provoked by the little frustration he faces. Also, From the New Testament perspective, according to Mathew 21:12, when Jesus entered the temple and saw people selling in there, he became angry, whipped and sacked those who were merchandising in the Temple and this also indicates that God just like Human beings can also be angry The relevance of this attribute of God is seen in the sense that it helps those in the faith to refrain from acts that God dislikes and avoid the consequences of His anger. Secondly, God is a jealous God just as human beings can be Jealous. It has overtones of selfishness, suspicion, and distrust, and implies a hideous resentment or hostility toward other people because they enjoy some advantage. It is possessive, demanding, and overbearing; and that is repulsive. It stifles freedom

and individuality, it degrades and demeans, it breeds tension and discord etc. We do not read very far in the Bible before we hear God saying, You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God (Exodus 20:4-5). A jealous God! How can a God who is holy, just, loving, gracious, merciful, and long-suffering possibly be jealous just as human beings can be? We should be clear that though God can become Jealous like human beings, but Gods jealousy is not as a result of somebody having something he cannot have or does not have, rather we must notice that God is jealous only when someone gives to another something that rightly belongs to Him. In this sense, worship and service belongs to the Lord alone and thus when it is given to another thing, God becomes jealous. Aside the Old Testament proof, the same idea of Gods jealousy is present in the New Testament. After a discussion of idolatry in the church of Corinth, Paul asked the people, Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? (1 Corinthians 10:22), this statement alone in the New Testament tells us that God can be jealous just as Human beings.this attribute helps us Human beings to relate well with God since it teaches us not to kowtow to any other god than Him - the only mighty God Lastly, God wants recognition just as human beings wants fame and recognition. From the bible ,in Exodus3:14, when Moses asked God of what He should

mention to the people of Israel when he is questioned of it, the Lord replied that I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. This clearly indicates that God wants recognition since He could have simply say He is GOD, however because He wants His sovereignty to prevail he replied that IAM THAT IAM. This is also seen among human beings; all persons want their names mentioned beginning with their titles and achievements such as rev. Mr. Professor. his Excellency etc. this attribute of God also helps us to relate to him ,this is because it makes his capabilitiesor abilities known by a vast number of people thereby helps in converting people to Christ or God. Aside the personal attributes, there are general attributes of God as well. The general attributes include the following: Firstly, God is eternal. The eternality of God refers to the endless past, the unending future, or to God's present experience of all time. God has no beginning as man can understand beginning and no ending either, but God exists now and knows both the beginning and the end as we perceive them . in Psalm 90:2, we noticed that, Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever the earth was formed and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, there was God, not only this ,Rev 1:8 I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God the one

who is, and who was, and who is still to come the All-Powerful! This verse in the bible alone tells Gods unique attribute of eternality unlike man who is mortal. Also, GOD is OMNIPRESENT, this is an attribute of God by which He fills the universe in all its parts and is present everywhere at once. Not a part, but the whole of God is present in every place. This is true of all three members of the Trinity. They are so closely related that where one is the others can be said to be, also. The book of Jeremiah 23:23,24, quotes, Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? Saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? Saith the Lord. This scripture proves that Gods attribute of omnipresence is true. Lastly, God is omnipotent; this attribute of God describes his ability to do whatever He wills. This means that if God says something will happen or should happen, He has the power to make sure that it will happen. He only commands and it is established. A good example is the creation story, he says let there be light and there was light, and this is an example of his omnipotence. In Revelation19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thundering, saying, alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. The relevance of the general attributes are that they help

reveal the sovereignty of God as well as his uniqueness that makes him supreme and the most high God. In summary, personal attributes of God such as anger, jealousy and recognition helps man to relate well with God whereas general attributes such as eternity, omnipresence and omnipotent reveals his sovereignty and Supreme Being. References New King James Bible version The Gospel of John, Pastor Styles Okran (2009) The biblical encyclopedia, 2005 edition

AUTHORS: NAMES ENUSAH ABDULAI DOROTHY ACHEAMPONG FELICIA AMEDOR GABRIEL QUAYE VICTORIA ABBORO